Liverpool Public Library honors vets

Those words adorn the entryway to the Syracuse VA Hospital, serving as a reminder of the true price of war -- and the reason we need to celebrate and remember our veterans.

The Liverpool Public Library held its seventh annual Veterans Appreciation Evening on Thursday Nov. 8 in an effort to do just that. At the event, eight veterans answered questions posed by five sixth-graders from Liverpool Elementary about what it means to be a veteran. The event also featured a piano performance, the recitation by members of a Liverpool Girl Scout Troop of a proclamation by President Bush and refreshments.

Nov. 11 has been set aside to honor American veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the United States of America, said Elizabeth Dailey, LPL's executive director. These veterans are here tonight to tell us their stories. For them, patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice are more than just words.

LPL hosts the event every year to honor veterans and educate people about their experiences. Each year, the library chooses a different school within the Liverpool Central School District to come up with questions to pose for the veterans. This year was LE's turn.

We're very proud to be here, said Kim O'Neill, an LE teacher who advised the students that asked the questions. In class we discussed the origins of Veterans Day, and we came up with some questions to ask the veterans.

Those questions and some of the answers provided by the veterans follow.

Who was president when you served and was it a popular or unpopular war?

Five of the eight veterans (George Leggett, Reggie Chester, Dino Paschetto, Fred Wyker and Earl Butterfield) on the panel served in World War II in various locations and capacities. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president of the United States at the time, and all noted that the war in Europe was seen as necessary.